Former Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho and Law Professor Makau Mutua jumped to the defense of Suna East Member of Parliament Junet Mohamed amid the recent developments in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
On Sunday, January 21, reports indicated that ODM had written a “show cause” letter to Junet requiring him to explain his continued absence in key meetings.
In a show of solidarity, Joho, who is also ODM’s Deputy Party Leader, termed the move as “uncalled for and unnecessary” expressing his shock at the news.
“Completely unnecessary and uncalled for!” Joho stated in a post quoting an excerpt of the Sunday Nation tagged to Prof Makau Mutua and the ODM Party.
On his part, Prof Makau Mutua, who also played a key role in the Azimio la Umoja campaigns, backed Joho’s stance on the development.
In a statement, Prof Mutua described Junet as a patriot to assert the words used by Joho noting that the disciplinary move was uncalled for.
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“Governor Hassan Ali Joho, no truer words have ever been spoken. Kenya doesn’t have a finer patriot than our brother Junet Mohamed,” Prof Mutua stated.
In an earlier post, the law Professor quoted the newspaper excerpt with a salute emoji with the caption “respect”.
The two former Azimio luminaries were among the first politicians close to ODM to respond to the news about the imminent action by ODM on Junet.
ODM Demands Explanation from Junet
According to the show cause letter, Junet’s commitment to his role in the party was raised as a major concern in a recent meeting chaired by Party Leader Raila Odinga.
ODM said his actions had lately affected its performance and realization of goals and objectives.
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As such, the party demanded an explanation from Junet to be presented within seven days.
How Joho and Junet Went Low Key After 2022 Polls
Junet and Joho found themselves at the center of a backlash about the party’s preparedness in the 2022 elections.
Some party members blamed the duo for the loss in the presidential elections especially on the issue of paying and hiring party agents.
Subsequent to the jitters, the two politicians went lowkey and reduced their public engagements.
Since the 2022 polls, Joho and Junet have only appeared in select political functions raising questions about their next step.
Junet is still the Minority Whip in the National Assembly, a position seen as critical in ensuring the opposition’s agenda in the house sails through.
In the recent registration drive led by ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga, both Junet and Joho have been conspicuously missing, sparking speculations of unease within the party.
ODM was yet to issue a public statement regarding the imminent disciplinary action on Junet by the time of this publication.
